Schwarzenegger: I'm Still Enjoying the Battle

June 21, 2005 — -- It's been a rough spring for California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

As he's learned in the past months, it's one thing to battle killer robots and aliens on the big screen, but another thing altogether to face off against angry nurses and teachers.

Schwarzenegger is supporting three controversial ballot initiatives this fall that most Californians oppose, and his education agenda -- which calls for increasing tenure requirements and getting rid of underperforming teachers -- has raised educators' ire. He has also taken on other powerful unions.

The backlash has been swift. The governor's once-lofty approval ratings have plunged, and last week he was heckled at a college commencement speech.

But in true action-hero style, Schwarzenegger seems confident that he will prevail.

Couldn't Write a Better Script

Conflict just makes for a better story, Schwarzenegger told ABC News' "Good Morning America" in an exclusive interview.

"You couldn't have had a better script, even if you write it," Schwarzenegger said. "I mean, it's absolutely perfect. It's now in the middle of the big struggle. The first act is stop the bleeding, turn the economy around. The second act is reform. The third act is then the building of California."

But are California voters dozing off during the second half? When Schwarzenegger announced his backing of the November special election, the Michael Jackson verdict bumped him off the air.

Schwarzenegger brushed off concerns about an apathetic electorate and his plummeting ratings. "Don't worry about that," he said. "They will not doze off. I will create the excitement. There's a lot of excitement this year."

Union Blues

The teachers' union is spending millions to battle his education agenda, but Schwarzenegger insists that he is not anti-union per se.

"There's a difference between being against the workers or members of a union versus the union bosses and the union leadership," he said. "The union leadership is only out to work for themselves."

That's a tough sell in a blue state like California, and maybe even in his own house. As a Kennedy, his wife, Maria Shriver, watched her family defend and depend on unions for decades.

"It's definitely conflicting for my wife," Schwarzenegger said. "I think that they probably wish -- or my wife wishes -- that this battle is over with and that we can get along and that we can move the agenda forward. But she also understands what I'm trying to do."

Still Enjoying the Battle

While the governor can still work a crowd, his love affair with the state legislature has cooled off considerably. Last year, Schwarzenegger and members of the legislature cut deals and puffed cigars in his "cigar tent."

This year, the legislature tried to pass a law to shut down the tent. "Childish behavior on their part," Schwarzenegger said.

The big question, though, is will he run again -- especially if the ballot initiatives he supports are defeated this fall?

Schwarzenegger told ABC News he would make an announcement on his decision to run before the November vote.

"The outcome of this has nothing to do with me running again," he said.

And even though Shriver recently told Oprah Winfrey she would prefer to have her husband home instead of running again in 2006, Schwarzenegger dismissed that as a misunderstanding.

"I think that's not necessarily what she means. She maybe meant that … I should come home more often than being four nights up here in Sacramento," he said.

For now, the governor says he is simply taking each day as it comes.

"Right now, I don't even want to think about, 'Should I run again or not run again?'" he said. "Because right now, it's all about the reforms, and I'm enjoying this battle."